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Have your say now on superannuation bill

10 September 2010

Make your voice heard when MPs sit down to scrutinise the superannuation bill, which seeks to cap redundancy pay for civil and public servants, by writing to the committee considering it.

Make your voice heard to superannuation bill committee

 

There has been wide criticism of the way the government has introduced the bill, the most important for PCS members in the past decade, which had its second reading on 7 September. John McDonnell MP, chair of our parliamentary group who is a member of the committee, has called the bill a ‘landmine bill’ as its contents are explosive and it is not needed.

MPs are set to scrutinise and debate the bill line by line from Tuesday (14 September) and the committee is expected to complete its considerations on Thursday (16 September), before presenting the amended bill to MPs again in October, so send in your submissions without delay.

Individual members and groups should write, including concerns about the lack of time for requisite scrutiny and parliamentary debate. In your submission explain how the legislation would penalise low-paid workers, highlighting your own circumstances and saying why hard-earned, accrued, contractual rights should be honoured. Many members have dedicated their lives to public service and the capping of redundancy payments would be devastating, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of pounds.

How to make your submission:

 

• Include a brief introduction about you or your organisation. The submission should not have been previously published or circulated elsewhere.

• Submissions should be in the form of a Word document. A summary should be provided. Paragraphs should be numbered, but there should be no page numbering. Essential statistics or further details can be added as annexes, which should also be numbered.


• To make publication easier, avoid the use of coloured graphs, complex diagrams or pictures. Submissions should not exceed 3,000 words.


• Include a separate covering email containing the name, address, telephone number and email address of the person responsible for the submission. The submission should be dated.


• Your submission should address matters contained within the bill and concentrate on issues where you have a special interest or expertise, and factual information of which you would like the committee to be aware.

 

Send your submission via the parliament uk website or email scrutiny@parliament.uk


What happens to my evidence?


The written evidence will be circulated to all committee members to inform their consideration of the bill. Most submissions will also be published. They will be posted on the internet as soon as possible after the committee has started sitting, and will also be printed in hard copy at the end of the committee’s deliberations.


For more information email campaigns@pcs.org.uk or call 020 7801 2820.


The parliamentary scrutiny unit can help with any queries about written evidence. Call 020 7219 8383/8387, email scrutiny@parliament.uk or fax 020 7219 8381.